MARION - In response to concerns about the hiring of a controversial surgeon, new VA Medical Center Director Peter McBrady said Thursday there are several factors to consider in employing physicians.

McBrady spoke in the wake of nine reported deaths at the Marion VA hospital between October of 2006 and March of 2007. Complex surgeries performed by Dr. Jose Veizaga-Mendez are being reviewed as part of an ongoing VA investigation of the Marion hospital.

McBrady said Marion has a professional standards board consisting of a group of practicing physicians at the hospital who review each candidate for hire.

The applicant's past employment is checked out. The state licensing board contributes information as to whether the applicant is licensed to work in more than one state. Past clinical priviliges are a reference point, as is the National Practitioner Data Bank, which relates any information on tort or malpractice claims. There are also personal clinical references that factor into the hiring process.

"Most of the information we get on physician candidates comes from outside sources," McBrady said. "That allows us to make a balanced and fair decision."

Although he would not speak about Veizaga-Mendez by name, McBrady did say there was no evidence that would set off any alarms with the Marion contingent when the physician was reviewed. At the time of the hire, he held an active license to practice medicine in both Massachusetts and Illinois.

When Veizaga-Mendez relinquished his Massachusetts license six months into his stay at Marion, there was no prior or pending disciplinary action on the books against him.

Instead of reacting to the Inspector General's full report when it is completed, McBrady said the hospital is taking a proactive approach.

"We're putting together what I call a coordinating committee with an action plan to implement the best practices here at the hospital," he said. "We want to have as much frontline (nurses, respiratory therapists and clerks, for example) input to make sure that we provide safe, quality care for our patients."

Dr. Bill Patterson, new chief of staff at the Marion facility, said it's that input that will allow the surgical unit to grow into a more productive unit.

"We also want to hear from our patients and their families," he said. "Our staff wants to move forward, too."

Concerning the higher-than-normal death rate, McBrady said there was little comment that could be made until the investigation is complete.

Patterson said the Marion facility received a favorable review in Fiscal Year 2006, which ended Sept. 30 of last year. That review was based on nationwide statistical data compiled by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program with the VA, which compared actual deaths to projected or expected deaths at a hospital the size of Marion.

McBrady said repairing the image of the Marion facility is indeed a challenge, but one that employees there are willing to tackle.

"We plan to share with employees the issues of staffing and support services. Whatever we can do to improve our facility, we will do."

john.homan@thesouthern.com / 351-5805@thesouthern.com / 351-5805